Annabella's Song
by Josephine
Summary: Max thinks about his daughter


Annabella's Song  
by Josephine  
I see you roll your eyes  
You know it makes me smile  
You are like the sun to me  
All bright as liquid fire  
I feel so powerless   
To hold you up above the world  
You a re quite a lot of trouble  
For sucha skinny little girl  
You know I'm never home  
I'm always miles and miles away  
I feel I'm running out of time  
To say the things I need to say  
I call you on the telephone  
You will not talk to me  
Yes, you just don't understnad  
You are my everything  
Anna Anna  
Tell me what you want  
Tell me what you need  
Anna Anna  
You are never alone  
You are never alone  
I like to watch you play   
When you don't know I'm there  
I see you in your sleep at night  
Reach out an touch your hair  
I want to make this world  
Be just how you want it to be  
Yeah, you just don't understnad  
You are my everything  
Anna Anna  
Tell me what you want  
Baby tell me what you need  
Anna Anna  
You are never alone  
Anna  
You are never alone  
(Lyrics by Everclear, Annabella's Song)  
~  
I had insisted ont he hour long commute to the hospital so Liz, and Anna could stay close to Maria's house. I gripped the steering wheel thightly and pictured my four year only daughter, her huge chockolate brown eyes peering up at me from under thick lashes and brown bangs, her hair in pigtails. She had been acting out for me lately, having fits and such when I was home. I was away most days until seven, only an hour before Anna had to go to bed, and I felt usually without seeing her in the morning. Liz tried to tell me that it was just a phase our Annabella was goring through, that Jake and Greg had done the same thing for Michael when He had a big job.  
  
There was a burning feeling behind my eyes, no, not Michael on the way to work. You're setting your self up for a bad day, I told myself, but my mind still drifted to him. hit by a car earlier this year, of all the danger was had been through, and Michael had been hit by a car. Maria cried for a week straight, Liz lived at her house while I took off work and watched Jake, Greg and Anna. The boys were five and six and Jake didn't really understand, he kept askeing when daddy was coming home. I had to tell hime daddy was never coming home ehile trying to hold back my own tears.  
  
So now I'm stuck in traffic, praying that I will have more time here, more time with Anna, and Liz. I see the depression that Maria has falled into, and I don't want Liz to suffer like that.  
  
Liz does research for the local science journal. It's not exactly what she hoped for, but it's what she can fit in while watching Anna, and ocasionally still Jake and Greg. I am a pediatrician, kind of ironic, I see children all day, but my own daughter for one measly hour every week day.  
  
~  
  
During my lunch break, I called home. Liz picked up. "Evans residencs, Liz speaking."  
  
"Hey Lizzy. It's me." I sighed, and smiled. Liz and her routine.  
  
"Hi Max. How's your day going?" I could hear papers shuffle, and I knew she was leaving her office.  
  
"Fine, fine. Mostly checkups so far. I wanted to talk to Anna if she's not napping or anything."  
  
"Sure, lemme get her." I heard the static of a covered mouthpieve. "Anna! Come here, daddy wants to talk to you." I could hear Liz say, though muted.  
  
"No!" A childishe voice said, then I could make out the sound of pattering footsteps running away.  
  
"I'm sorry," Liz came back on the line. "She's having another fit."  
  
I shighed again. "It's alright. Just tell her I love her. I love you too, hon. See you later, around six tonight."  
  
"Alright," she kissed the phonem said goodbye and hing up.  
  
~  
  
My Anna, all skinny arms and legs, thick hair continuously being brushed out of her eyes, too busy for dresses. Taking every joke with an eyeroll and "oh, daddy."  
  
But she cares. The day her kittie Edwardo got sick, and she tried to heal him with her powers, she really meant to save him. It wasn't ehr fault she couldn't control it, and ended up killing him instead. She cried long and hard for her friend, giving him a funeral in our yerd, near the garden Liz insists on keeping.  
  
Even then she positively radiated sunshine, she would sit on my lap, and snuggle up close and the next thing I knew she'd be asleep.  
  
I knew then that I couldn'y protect ehr from everything that would hurt her as much and I would ahve liked to.  
  
~  
  
I locked the door behind me at 6:04 in the evening. "I'm home." I called, and header to the bedroom to change into more comfortable clothes.  
  
"We're eating honey." Liz called from back to me.  
  
"Meatloaf!" Anna sang in a falsetto voice that made me chuckle softly. I shorts and a t-shirt, I entered the dining room, and sat down across from Liz, next to Anna. There was food on my plate already waiting for me, and I ate while talking about my day. Liz was interested in the medicine of my work, but I told Anna about the children, and the jokes and stories I told to make them feel better.  
  
"Did you do the bird whistle?" she wrinkled her nose in a smile.  
  
I leaned in to her ear and whistled like a loon.  
  
Anna giggled, then turned to her mother. "I'm ready to get down, mommy."  
  
"Alright."  
  
~  
  
Liz wrapped her arms around my waist from where I stood in Annabella's doorway. She was wrapped up in her covers, and surrounded but stuffer bears. I approached her, Liz trailing behind, and brushed back her hair to kiss her forehead.  
  
"Goodnight, Anna. You are never laone." I whispered to her. I knew that always, I would be singing Annabella's song.  
  
~  
  
The End  
8-3-2000  



End file.
